Sets and Locations

    The filming is done. We can talk about that later. I need a whole blog post to talk about how lucky I got with the set and location. 

    The locations worked out completely. During my drama elective, I went to the chorus room and confirmed that I could use it for a few hours after school. The only issue was that there would be a 15 minute chorus meeting after school. My group could use it when the meeting finished. That wasn't too bad. In my mind, I could picture that, even in the worst case scenario where we couldn't use the auditorium, I could tweak the film enough to where it could all take place in the chorus room. We secured the most important location, and that was a huge relief. 

The chorus room was bright and static. It is a clean classroom, but a little cluttered. A grand piano can be seen covered by sheet music which the teacher hopes to conduct in the future. Many chairs are set up, showing how the teacher was expecting more students to apply to his class. As the camera rotates around the subject, posters can be seen put up all around the room. The decorations range from group pictures to school stickers. It's all the regular stuff you would see in a classroom. 

    I stayed after school and tried to claim the auditorium. It turns out that the Band kids needed the auditorium to set up for their Music Performance Assessment competitions the next day. It took place right on the stage. This, at first, was heartbreaking. I looked online to my school's Activities Calendar, and their set-up time wasn't reserved.  I couldn't believe that my plan was going to be fumbled by a group of people who tried to sneak their way into the auditorium without booking through the Activities Calendar. Of course, I couldn't be too mad, though. I was trying to do the exact same thing. 

    Through all this ruckus, an idea sparked. Originally, I pictured an empty stage for the auditorium segment of my film opening. As the Band started moving in instruments, I realized that their assemblage of objects could actually help my piece. I asked if I could record something which featured their gizmos, and they said it was completely fine. Their tests didn't start until tomorrow. 

There are numerous chairs and instruments that can be seen. They are never the focus, but they help add to the story. With the stage filled with furniture to be like an actual orchestra, it makes the dream sequence of the film feel more grand (and more unrealistic for the poor teacher). The curtains are all raised so you can see backstage as well. I'm very thankful that I chose this specific day to film. 

TL;DR -> Band kids are nice